The Chase
by Clagag
Summary: Set after the events of TFA. Rey tries to escape from a First Order base and Kylo Ren tries to catch her. Kylo has to come to terms with the real Rey over the Rey in his dreams. Rey has to face her fears and discover who she truly is. Lake monsters & snow storms. Eventual Reylo. Rated T for a bit of mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first ever fan-fiction of anything... ever!**

 **This will probably will be only around 6 chapters long... they'll get progressively longer though.**

 **Hope you enjoy the ride!**

* * *

Kylo Ren was absolutely ropeable. Strutting down the mechanical halls he gave little thought to any obstacles or personnel that might get in his way. Alarms and flashing lights were filling the halls of the First Order fortress as Stormtroopers jogged through every chamber, corridor and hangar searching for the escapee.

Marching through the clamour Kylo Ren's senses however, had tuned-out the blur of strobing lights and troopers passing him. His mind was never penetrated by the invasive ringing in the air or hissing accompanied by passing doors. His senses were focusing solely on his prisoner, his _ex-prisoner_.

" _Not again_ ," he thought, " _That scavenger will not escape me again_."

With a fresh sense of wicked motivation he broke into a sprint, feeling for her through the force. Rounding a corner his menacing presence sent most hurrying away; however, there were a few occasions where a trooper or technician did not get out of the way quickly enough and were blown against a wall by Ren's explosive rage. He could feel his heart pulsing faster and a steady flow of venom growing in his mouth.

"F _uel your anger, use it as your strength, feel the dark side running through you_." The memory of Snoke's mantra coaxed in Kylo Ren's mind. A malicious smile spread across his lips. Were his mask off, the look on his face would have sent spine-chilling fear into anyone unfortunate enough to be in his presence.

Kylo Ren ignited his lightsabre and felt once again through the force for the scavenger. He knew he was getting closer, sensing her force signature growing stronger. He knew she could feel him too, her fear increasing and brewing an exhilarated laugh in his chest, escaping his throat.

 _I'm coming scavenger._ He beckoned through the force. Kylo Ren continued on, taking a moment to listen for any response. When none came he called again, _You will join me this time, or join your precious Han Solo._

* * *

 **What do you think?**

 **In my opinion I may have made Kylo Ren a bit darker than I had initially wanted. Do you like this darker Kylo Ren or do you think he should get a bit more softer as the chapters go on?**

 **Do not fear! Ren POV in next chapter! Where or where could our favourite scavenger be?**

 **This is my first fanfic so please give me your honest opinions! I'd love to know where I can improve. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**As I said in the last chapter, I'm new to this so let me know if you spot any mistakes or would like to give me any helpful tips! I'd very much appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this (longer) chapter.**

* * *

 _I'm coming scavenger._

Rey could hear him taunting her, but she had no time for his twisted words. Fear was growing in the pit of her stomach as she stood at the foot of the glistening expanse of water. The lake was vast although nowhere near as vast as the sand dunes of Jakku. Unlike the unending waves of dusty gold she was used to, in this setting she could clearly see where the water met the snowy shores. It was as if the island and lake had been cut straight in the middle of a mountain range. The towering icy peaks greatly overshadowed the First Order base, which made it the perfect location for the secret fortress to hold prisoners. Nobody would ever be able to find it.

Uneasiness grew stronger in her gut, but it was not her captor's threatening message or her hopelessly isolated situation that fueled her fear. It was the icy waters lapping at the shoreline which had her stomach turning. After living most her life on a planet where large bodies of water were non-existent, the mammoth amount in front of her made her want to scream out. If she were to escape then she had to cross it… one way or another.

Rey closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. She thought back to Master Luke's meditation training. It felt like a lifetime ago since she had seen him but in reality was a mere few weeks.

" _Fear is an emotion Rey. It is strong but it can betray you and lead you to the dark side. You must remember, there is no emotion, there is_ –"

"Peace." Rey whispered to herself. Luke had all but drilled the Jedi Code into her during their training. At first she had thought his constant lessons of theory were a waste of her time, the order was growing stronger and she needed to be physically trained if she could help the Resistance. That was until one night Rey had snapped, demanding to be taught more practical methods of using the force. She initially thought her outburst had brought sadness into her master's eyes until she looked closer, only to see regret glazing his eyes. She had seen that same look in Han's eyes.

 _"It's him, isn't it?" she asked "I remind you of him… Kylo Ren."_

 _"Yes," he responded after his gaze had shifted from her. "But before he was Kylo Ren, when he was Ben Solo - only a boy, but a boy with uncontrollable rage."_

 _Rey mused over the idea as Kylo Ren as a wayward boy, rather than the corrupted older version she was familiar with. For some reason, she could easily picture him as a child, his mannerisms and actions reflected those of an angsty adolescent._

 _"You're curious if he has always been filled with anger?" Luke interrupted her thought. Rey blushed and nodded in agreement. Had she been so easily read? She made a mental note to try harder to conceal her thoughts if she wanted to be a Jedi._

 _"There was a time I suppose, when he was not... but it has been long since he has shown that part of himself. Ben was a boy who grew up in the shadow of his family. I trained him from a young age; I was excited to pass on my knowledge to my only nephew. My sister… Han… everyone could see his potential."_

 _Rey imagined what her life would be like if she had grown up with a family… a mother who cared for her, a father who supported her, an uncle who encouraged her. She was jealous of the life Kylo Ren had thrown away, tasting bile in her mouth when she recalled how he had killed Han._

 _Luke sighed, catching Rey's attention again. "All his life he had be told he would become a great Jedi - a given of his lineage. He was strong in the force, but he pressured himself to be stronger. All our expectations weighed on him, so it should have come as no surprise that he was easily drawn to the power of the Dark Side. Coaxed by power but fighting to hold onto the light."_

 _Luke frowned deeply, Rey knew despite his gaze he was not looking at her. His eyes glistened with the memories of his nephew. "I was blinded by my personal feelings for him that I overlooked his mental anguish. I should have been a guide towards the light, but instead…"_

 _Luke's words had trailed off and he closed his eyes. Rey could sense he was using the force to steady his emotions. Rey reflected on what her master had shared with her. She had sensed it too when Kylo Ren had tried to interrogate her, exposed to his emotions when she had invaded his mind. He had idolised the power his grandfather had held, but Kylo Ren was still far from the strength of Darth Vader. He was afraid he wasn't strong enough._

 _"Fear leads to the dark side."_

Luke's words echoed in Rey's mind as she stood on the precipice of her fear. She called on the force to calm her down once more, repeating the Jedi code. _There is no emotion, there is_ -

" _You will join me this time, or join your precious Han Solo_."

Kylo Ren's words cut through her thoughts. She would have laughed at his childish arrogance if she were not so terrified of the situation she was in. Instead a sound halfway between a nervous chuckle and whimper escaped her lips as she darted across the ice. Jumping across the gaps where the dark lake water reminded her of the chilled depths beneath her.

 _"Fear is an emotion. There is no emotion, there is peace_." Rey thought to herself as she danced across the black ice. She focused on using the force to calm herself, proud of the way she had brought her fear under control. However, her relief had come too soon, the confidence distracting her and causing her to slip on the ice and falling with a _smack_!

* * *

 **So a pretty heavy load of backstory in this chapter? I think Luke would probably still be at least a little bit dramatic in his old age. He's a Skywalker after all!**

 **Also Rey is starting to understand more about her enemy... How do you think she'll feel when she sees him face-to-face? Can Rey escape before Kylo Ren finds her? How did they get into this situation? All will be revealed!**

 **Kylo Ren returns next chapter, throws a hissy-fit, thinks about his scavenger. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo Ren skidded to a halt. His blood drained from his head, all earlier anticipation and excitement had completely left him.

She was gone.

The scavenger's force signature had suddenly dissipated. He closed his eyes and reached desperately back into the force, searching for her, scratching at every surface in his mind.

 _This can't be happening_. Overwhelmed by her spontaneous disappearance, he began thrashing about with his saber, destroying a nearby control panel with large angry strokes. Screams erupted from his throat as his rage burned on in the pit of his stomach.

How could he have lost her? One second she was so close he could taste her, but then she had vanished, leaving him confused. Kylo Ren continued his rampage by dragging his crackling saber across the wall, drawing one big streak of charred metal into it.

* * *

"Kylo _Ren,"_ A junior officer had called to him the day prior. " _General Hux wishes to see you in the control room."_

 _Kylo Ren turned from the troopers he had been instructing. A sigh escaping his lips, filtered through his mask as a deep hiss._

 _After the defeat of the First Order on Starkiller Base, Hux had blamed Kylo Ren for the loss of the planet. He didn't say it so much in words as in the way he took to ordering Ren around. Calling on him daily to fulfill time-wasting duties such as training the inexperienced troopers in Phasma's absence._

 _The inane tasks initially proved to allow Ren to recover quickly from the wounds he sustained on Starkiller Base, but as time went on he couldn't help but let his mind wonder to the scavenger who had bested him in a duel. Weeks since their battle the thought of her angered expression slashing at him still made his face sting._

 _She was so… unpredictable. Entering his mind, escaping from capture, her overwhelming use of the force in the forest, these had all been moments when the scavenger had taken him off-guard. He had assumed she was just a weak girl after easily rendering her unconscious on Takodana, never expecting the strong, force-wielding opponent she would eventually prove herself to be._

 _"No matter when our next encounter may be, I will hold the upper-hand." He had vowed to himself each time his mind wondered to the girl._

 _He could not deny the call he felt to her - not only as someone of his kind but also as a strong wielder of the Force. She regularily infiltrated his dreams, not that he minded. Each time he awoke from another teasing dream of facing the scavenger, he would allow his anger to build-up inside, triggering many upon many impromptu training sessions. Little did she know that she had inadvertently provided Kylo Ren with the ultimate power against her - the power to become stronger._

 _Exhilaration had taken-over Ren after he discovered Hux did not require him for another worthless task, but had called to inform Ren of the capture of the Jakku scavenger near one of their prison bases. In addition, Snoke had ordered that Kylo Ren finally prove he could defeat the force-wielding novice and be sent there at once._

 _He had felt practically giddy until on arrival he had discovered his prized prisoner had escaped, expelling all the excitement which had built-up inside of him._

* * *

Kylo Ren slowly dislodged his lightsaber from the wall. With heavy pants he leaned over, trying to regain his breath. Between ragged breaths he called out to her again through the force.

" _Where are you scavenger?"_ But there was no response. He stood up straight again and took in his surroundings, he had been heading toward the south of the fortress. " _She couldn't have left the base_ ," he thought with new clarity " _there are no exits this way_."

Except there was, with the intention of further developing on the south wing there had been a door constructed into a corridor. It had been overlooked as a possible escape as it opened straight over a steep rock face. Any sane person would never try to escape from there.

" _Always unpredictable_." Ren thought to himself almost in amusement. A half-smile creeped onto his face at the thought of the scavenger girl scaling the heavy descent.

The smile quickly turned into a scowl as Kylo Ren took a look at the destruction he had unleashed. He had just destroyed the only control panel in the area which had access to the corridor in question. He grumbled at his stupidity and turned to the door, igniting his saber. _I will catch you scavenger_.

* * *

 **What do you think? Kylo Ren sure seems to have been doing a lot of thinking about Rey hey? ;)**

 **Please let me know what you think of the story so far. What do you enjoy? What do you think brought Rey into the clutches of the First Order?**

 **Less flashbacks as the chapters go on I promise! Next chapter: What happened to Rey after her slip on the ice!**


	4. Chapter 4

Rey opened her eyes to find herself lying flat across a section of ice, floating steadily on the lake. She tried to ignore the throbbing in her head and instead shifted her body slightly to take a look at her surroundings. To her dismay she found herself isolated on the ice block, surrounded by the dark waters of the lake and drifting further from the other chunks of ice.

She lifted her head and stood up, causing her ice block to wobble and increase her already present wooziness. She could remember hearing Kylo Ren's voice in her unconsciousness. At first it had sounded cold-blooded, then it became almost soothing as he cooed to her. Impossible, she corrected herself, Kylo Ren is evil, the dark side does not allure to me.

However, she had to admit, his voice had a handsome thrum - his real voice, not the distorted crackle caused by his onyx helmet. She loathed the way it's distorted hiss pierced her ears. Realising the subject of her thoughts, Rey began cursing her heart for skipping over Kylo Ren's handsome, rich voice... "No! Evil voice, dark voice, VILE VOICE!"

Rey tried to steady her staggered breathing."There's no point in pondering why I heard him in my sleep. He was probably just trying to annoy me again." She thought as she picked up her staff. Gazing out towards the mountains, Rey surveyed her distance from the nearest shoreline.

To her luck, as she was passed out, she had floated further from the First Order prison and closer to the surrounding mountains.

Craving solid ground, Rey began drawing her staff through the water. She grasped it firmly and tried to pull the water harder, each stroke bringing herself and her sheet of ice closer to the water's edge.

She shivered as a slight breeze rolling of the lake nipped at her skin. It was already cold enough for her liking on this snow planet, but the sun was beginning to go down and she knew the temperature would drop further.

Rey had not considered much of the few loose garments she had donned before being made captive by the First Order. In her haste to escape from her captors, she had not been bothered by the extreme chill, but after many minutes of stillness her core temperature had begun to drop.

The urgency of arriving on the shore before the sun had fully-set became her first priority. The wind was blowing the loose tendrils of hair in her eyes and her paddling had increased. A staff was by no means a very good tool for navigating along the darkening surface of a black-ice lake.

"Closer now," she breathed, staring down the water's edge, "just a few more minutes."

A great gust caused her hair to whip around, blocking her vision completely. At the same time small waves were clashing with her ice raft, enough to cause it to rock and take Rey further from he shoreline. Trying not to panic, she focused on steadying herself as she pulled her hair away from her face.

A low rumble came from the watery depths and Rey noticed it was not only the breeze making it harder for her to gain momentum, there was something lurking beneath her, living in the ice lake.

A large force from below tipped the ice block, causing Rey to leap off it. Thankfully, she was now close enough to the other sheets of ice that she landed with a roll on one of them. She squirmed on the ice trying to use her staff to help herself stand up again, the loose snow scattered along the surface making it difficult.

"Force, this is all I need. I should have just stayed on Jakku, I never thought helping a droid would lead me certain death so often!"

Rey reached for her sabre at her thigh, feeling nothing but an empty holster. She jolted her head up, looking around for where it had fallen out. "It can't be..." she let her thought trail off, not wishing to conclude she had lost her master's sabre to the merciless lake.

The creature below finally escaped to the surface, bellowing into the quickening darkness. It had to be larger than an AT-AT, Rey thought. She didn't have long to ponder its magnitude as it came crashing down above her. She zipped from its collision path, landing painfully on her side.

A gasp escaped her lips at the agony in her ribs as she stumbled onto her knees again. The beast flicked its large tail about, carefully crawling along the thin ice's surface towards Rey. She was close enough now to the shore that with some help from the force, she could outrun the creature along the black ice.

However, the glint of her sabre's hilt caught her eye before she could implement that plan. It was about half-way between herself and the large, ebony animal before her.

"Force.' She cursed under her breath as she got into a running position. Locking eyes with the monster, the scavenger broke into a sprint.

"There is no emotion, there is peace." Nearing her sabre, Rey could feel her already exhausted lungs tearing between breaths. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace."

Skidding along the ice, Rey crouched and reached for the weapon, igniting it hastily and looking up to catch a glimpse of a large flipper coming down on her. "Thereisnoemotion, thereis- FORCE!"

Rey dived away from the heavy blow, managing to drag her sabre through the beast's limb. This caused it to let out an ear-slitting roar, the collision of its flipper already causing the thin ice to collapse beneath it. Rey quickly dashed to land another blow in it's slimy side which she hoped would inflict further pain upon the creature - but not enough to seriously maim it. However, the frustration she had already caused the dark beast had only served to rile it up even more, and it took another swing at Rey.

This time, it managed to knock her onto her back and she moaned at the intense pain from her spine smashing against the ice. She was sure to bruise in many-

"You cannot hide from me scavenger." Kylo Ren's voice cut through her agony, eliciting another groan from Rey.

"Why can't he leave me alone?" She had no time to reflect on his smooth, thundering voice, instead heaving herself to the left in order to avoid further impact with the lake monster's appendages.

Rey used her close proximity to swipe her lightsabre at her opponent. Delivering a swift blow to another one of it's limbs.

"Do not ignore me scavenger!" Frustrated by Kylo Ren's persistence in distracting Rey, she sucked in a deep breath and jumped onto the flipper, holding steady as she ran up onto it's shoulder. The beast screamed as Rey brought her weapon down upon its neck. It thrashed about in the water, making Rey slide along it's slimey back, drawing more cuts into its thick, wet skin.

It's thrashing caused the ice beneath them to break apart and finally the creature gave up. Rey launched herself from its dorsal muscles onto the still in-tact ice fragments as the beast sunk again into the chilled depths.

Rey release a sigh of relief and hopped along the few remaining ice blocks to the shore.

Refusing to continue running she sent out a thought to her enemy through the force. "Kylo Ren," she began.

* * *

 **This is my longest chapter so far! (By a few hundred words haha)**

 **Badass Rey is really fun to write, also her frustration over Kylo Ren hahaha**

 **Again, don't forget to let me know what you think!**

 **Next time: What does Rey have to say to Kylo Ren? How does he react? (Kylo ren POV again)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long wait on this chapter! I think I rewrote it about a hundred times too.**

 **I really wanted to make the meeting between these two perfect and this chapter just kept getting longer and longer.**

 **Shout-out to giugiuni for making me laugh, and to JWolf28 for your lovely comments.**

 **I dedicate this chapter (and Kylo Ren's temper tantrum) to sakuras . horcrux**

 **I don't want to keep you waiting any longer, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

" _Kylo Ren, I am waiting. If you believe you can defeat me, then let us end this_."

Finally.

Kylo Ren had finally done it; he had managed to track the scavenger's force signature again and had received a response.

After commandeering a TIE fighter to search the area south of the fortress, the girl's force signature had retuned. She could not escape him this time - this was his land after all. Before handing it over to the First Order, he had used this small planet for training after abandoning his past life. The planet's lack of natural fauna and the covert location of the island had proved it to be an optimal location to hide prisoners from the rest of the universe.

Despite the shortness of the nights, Kylo Ren had found pure darkness in himself during his time spent alone in this place. The wintry landscape still held the raw memories of his turn from the light side. Memories he could call upon in an instant.

 _On this planet, I hold the upper hand._

He was frantically navigating the aircraft across the lake, feeling her force signature drawing closer and stronger. Their close proximity caused a slight smirk to crawl across his lips. He scanned the area below him, to anyone else this section of the lake-edge looked very much like the rest, but Kylo Ren was all too familiar with his surroundings.

Landing the craft just passed where the mountainside met the water's edge, Kylo Ren scurried out of the flight cabin in haste, taking nothing but his saber with him.

A blast of chilled air hit him as he left the craft. Darkness had almost completely descended upon the small planet; however, it caused no hindrance to Kylo Ren as he began stomping through the powdery snow with a clear destination in mind.

* * *

She was sitting within the far recesses of a large alcove. It was as spacious as a hangar, crystalized minerals decorating the looming ceiling but still protecting her from the growing wind outside.

As he walked towards her crouched form he noticed how peaceful she appeared. Steady breaths, closed eyes, she could almost be sleeping. However, as he approached within a few metres of the scavenger, her eyes shot open, nostrils flaring.

She held her light saber tightly in her hands but made no attempt to light it. Ren peered into his enemy's hazel eyes, attempting to hide his thoughts and avoid shifting his gaze to her long lashes or to the escaped brown tufts of hair on her forehead. Staring into each other's eyes, they held an invisible battle, each trying to elicit emotion from the other: fear, uncertainty, doubt… but neither faltered in maintaining their facade.

Slightly aggravated by the prolonged wait, Kylo Ren cleared his throat with a rough cough escaping his onyx mask.

" _So scavenger, are you finally ready to join me_?" He offered his hand out to the girl, her pause bringing false hope to Kylo before being broken by a spiteful chuckle.

" _Are you so blind_?" Kylo was momentarily taken aback by her assertiveness, " _I'm sorry I was not clear enough when I left you bleeding to death at our last encounter, but I am not interested in anything you have to offer me_" her face twisted into disgust as she took a deep breath - preparing to make her next statement clear, " _and I'll be damned if I do not refuse to ever be in your thrall again._ "

Kylo Ren - unaffected by her words - merely smiled at the scavenger, although she would not be able to tell.

" _You stopped running for a reason._ " He cooed to her, for a second Kylo thought he saw something flicker in her eyes, but he couldn't quite catch what it was.

" _You wouldn't stop chasing me,_ " She replied, holding her stern pretense. " _Running away only proves more arduous, so I thought we might as well get this over and done with now._ "

Kylo Ren's free hand curled into a fist. The leather of his gloves pulled tightly between his fingers.

" _Get what over and done with, scavenger? How do you see this ending? Either you join me, or I will kill you._ "

" _Is that the only intelligent conclusion you can come to… this childish ultimatum?_ " His adversary scoffed. " _You really are a boy who fancies himself a man._ "

Heavy pants began to hiss from his helmet, causing the edges of the scavenger's mouth to twitch into a pleased expression before quickly dissipating. This, however, was not unnoticed by Kylo Ren and without warning he ignited his crackling light saber.

" _Did Luke Skywalker tell you that?_ " He asked, seething.

" _Wouldn't you like to know?_ "

Kylo Ren flexed his free hand, pacing side-to-side and watching the calm force-sensitive.

" _You still think I am weaker than you!_ " He spat in fury, stopping in his tracks and reaching out his hand. Too far to touch her, she made no response, until Kylo tried to will the force to make her unconscious. The padawan dodged his attempt, coaxing her to let out a disgruntled sigh.

He pushed harder now, attempting to enter her mind. They both pressed back at each other through the force and Kylo felt his heart thud harder in his chest. _Why is she being so difficult? This filth! She still believes she can match the power of the dark side._

They continued fighting off through the force, each trying to grab a foothold on the other. Finally Kylo Ren was pushed back, withdrawing his hand. His opponent let out an exasperated gasp, both panting and neither holding their earlier fronts.

" _You will never get within my mind, monster._ " She spat back at him as she shakily stood up, exhaustion obviously beginning to take her over.

Striking a nerve, Kylo Ren lunged forward bringing his saber down upon the girl, whose own saber had ignited and deflected the blow. They held their weapons there as Kylo tried to use his weight to push down upon the scavenger. She bared her teeth at him and he saw the way the blistering heat of the sabers caused sweat to coat her skin – the mix of blue and red hues reflecting off her face. This moment of distraction allowed the woman to retaliate, pushing Kylo back and barely giving him enough time to deflect her barrage of blows.

She was not holding back, forcing Kylo to take the defensive. The constant clash of their sabers echoed in the alcove, competing with the howling wind outside. As a particularly strong gust broke into the cave it managed to throw the lighter female opponent back a few feet. Taking advantage of this moment of freedom, Kylo Ren jumped onto a large rock, stealing the higher ground. Wasting no time, his opponent raced after him attempting to throw another strike at him; however, Kylo threw his saber forward first, meeting hers with another loud crackle.

He stepped forward as he swung at her again. _Step, swing, clash. Step, swing, clash. Step, swing. SMACK!_

Finally managing to land a blow on the scavenger, Kylo Ren was surprised to find himself retracting his weapon as she yelped in anguish. A tear in her garment revealed a small gash over her left shoulder. Her sharp cry had struck something within Kylo, his hair standing on edge. He felt her pain as if it were his own, when he had imagined their face-off he had thought her cries of pain would bring him immense pleasure, but now her agony made his stomach turn. _This isn't right._ Kylo took a step closer to offer assistance for his opponent. All the while, alarm bells sounded in his mind. _What are you doing Kylo?_

As she quickly looked over her wound, Kylo reached towards her. On reflex, she swatted his hand away and drew her saber up for protection. She scooted further back, fear and anger besting her focused demeanour. However, the woman's pained expression turned to one of surprise and confusion when Kylo Ren lowered his weapon, allowing his hilt to claim the extinguished saber.

He reached again, not caring about the continuing hostility emanating from the other party. Though, before he could touch her she had snatched his wrist. He met her gaze, shifting on his feet in brief annoyance. Her eyes were wide, pleading for an explanation.

" _You held the advantage, why would you surrender?_ " She gaped. He allowed her small yet rough hands hold onto his, making no attempt to break free.

" _I told you. I'd rather have you as my adversary and friend._ " He admitted sincerely. Of all the times he'd dreamt of the scavenger, not once did he _not_ see her join him.

Her grip tightened on his wrist, as she furrowed her brow.

" _You think you can have what you want… just like that?_ "

" _Yeah?_ " He replied, astonishing the woman. He sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds. _What are you doing Kylo?_ He thought in dismay. He opened his eyes again, glancing at her oozing wound. " _Here, let me heal that a bit._ "

She scoffed again, but did not stop his other free hand from softly covering her wounded shoulder. At first she winced, but she released a deep sigh which informed Kylo Ren that he was on the right track.

" _You really are a child._ " She repeated, not looking up at the man.

" _You'd be surprised at the lengths I'd go to achieve the deepest desires of my mind._ "

Her eyes widened and she released his wrist. Hastily pushing his other hand off her shoulder.

" _That's enough._ " She shot, turning away from the masked man. Kylo Ren was glad he had worn his mask, a million emotions were running over his face and none of them he'd want the scavenger to see.

Wanting desperately to break the silence, Kylo cleared his throat.

" _Y-you know you fought pretty badly_." _Smooth Kylo. Real Smooth._

She fiddled with the extinguished saber in her hands, picking at the little juts and clefts.

" _Uh… yeah. Escaping isn't always easy, especially since I had to fight a lake monster before this._ "

" _Lake monster?_ " Ren asked puzzled, recalling the planet's usefulness in its lack of natural fauna.

" _Yeah… the monster in the lake. It was a more challenging opponent than you._ " Kylo was too confused to be offended by her remark.

" _But there isn't any…_ " Over the sound of the howling wind came a loud clank and crunch which turned Kylo Ren's blood cold. Mortified, he fled from the deep recesses of the alcove and sprinted towards the area he had left his ship.

He could hear a second set of footsteps as the scavenger followed closely behind. Exposed to the elements, Kylo's long cloak flapped about in the harsh winds. They only briefly arrived at the lakeside before catching a glimpse of the large black beast pulling the First Order ship into the watery depths.

"Force." Kylo Ren cursed.

* * *

 **I think this story will go for a few more chapters than earlier anticipated.**

 **So Kylo Ren has finally realised he wants Rey as an ally more than he wants to kill her... but how does Rey feel?**

 **If you hadn't already guessed, the next chapter is Rey's POV!**

 **Don't forget to let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is dedicated to JanusKate. Sorry it took so long to upload!**

* * *

They spent the next few minutes in silence.

Rey stood behind Kylo Ren as he seethed at the lake. She couldn't see his face but she knew beneath his helmet he was frowning as the last traces of the TIE fighter bubbled to the surface.

Kylo Ren flexed his gloved fingers, and occasionally Rey could hear some incoherent grumbles hissing out his helmet.

Rey shifted her arms from their position, bored by waiting for Kylo Ren to recover from the shock of losing his ship to what can only be called his own stupidity – although Kylo Ren's stupidity was no shock to Rey. She was uncomfortable supporting her wounded shoulder and so she plopped herself down on a rock and began to tear the hem of her garment.

Finally snapping from his trance, Kylo Ren jumped around to face Rey. He watched her for a few moments before speaking.

" _What are you doing?"_ It was a simple question but he still managed to ask it like an insult.

Rey rolled her eyes, thinking that she mightn't bother answering. However, she had nothing better to do than humour him. _Why not?_ She thought.

" _I'm making a sling, for my arm – you know, the one you injured."_ She finally replied being snide.

Kylo Ren revealed nothing of his reaction. _That damn helmet._ Rey thought in irritation. Instead he took a few steps towards her, the wind whipping at his cape.

Rey believed she was doing a fine job of fashioning herself a sling and of tying it single-handedly – literally. However, Kylo Ren – whether deliberately or not – continued to pester Rey.

" _Do you need a hand with that?"_ Ren asked, pointing at the makeshift sling.

" _No."_ Rey answered gruffly, just as the material slipped between her fingers and was carried by the wind to Kylo Ren's feet.

She had never had a problem patching herself up in the past, but now Kylo Ren was walking towards her, snatching the cloth from the snow and holding it in front of him.

Rey frowned at him but made no attempt to take it back.

But Kylo Ren just stood there.

Rey ran her uninjured hand through her hair in frustration.

"Well? Are you-"

"I- I…" Kylo Ren's deep reverberating voice was, for once, speechless.

"You don't know how to… tie a sling?"

He immediately threw the cloth back at her and turned slightly, attempting to hide is already masked face with one of his gloved-hands.

Rey rolled her head back and sighed in frustration and she swiftly laid the sling over the arm of her injured shoulder and threw the ends over her back.

" _Here_ ," she began, turning her back to Ren. " _Just tie it_."

She stood still for a few moments receiving no response. Kylo Ren seemed to love wasting time in thought rather than action, Rey noted and she almost thought he wasn't going to do it until she felt leather brush over her neck as he tied the ends together.

Rey finally relaxed her arm, feeling the support of the sling.

Pivoting on her heels, she began to stomp back towards the alcove where they had first encountered each other. Night had finally descended and Rey was not partial to losing her fingers or toes in the frosty night air.

" _You're welcome!_ " Kylo Ren called from the shoreline, obviously having stood there in shock as she had left without so much as a thank-you.

Without turning around Rey lifter her hand up and gave Ren a thumbs-up.

" _And_ _you're_ _still the one who injured me_." She called out. " _Such a child."_ Rey huffed under her breath.

The wind continued to howl but Rey could still hear Kylo Ren run up and fall into line next to her, matching her steps.

Rey glanced at Kylo Ren out the corner of her eye. _What is he thinking?_ She thought curiously. _Following me just to give me an ultimatum: join him or get killed. Has he finally changed his mind on that? After all, he's had plenty of chances to attack me. Perhaps not, he's still trailing me… unfortunately._

Rey frowned and looked away from the black-clad sith. She slightly huffed and skipped forwards a few steps, not enjoying the implications of walking side-by-side with the man who tried to kill her.

Unfortunately, Kylo's large stride soon caught up with her. Speeding up her steps she attempted to get ahead of Ren again but he soon caught up again, their steps making loud crunching noises in the snow.

Rey shuffled ahead again but this time she side-stepped in front of Ren. She was about to comment on his irritating persistence when a great gust almost knocked the two over. Rey dug her heels into the snow and grabbed onto Kylo Ren with her free arm in an attempt to steady herself. The wind shook the branches of the tall thick trees, increasing with intensity as they began to crack and snap above the pair.

Kylo Ren shot out his arm and grabbed onto Rey's arm, attempting to pull her in a different direction.

" _Fssss!_ _OW!_ " Rey cried out, wincing at the splitting pain she felt in her shoulder. " _Let go!_ "

Kylo immediately let go, but yelled to Rey over the sound of the wind and trees being torn apart.

" _Just follow me_!"

Kylo led Rey through a seemingly endless trail of twists and turns through the snowy forest, dodging falling branches and trying to hold themselves up against the wind.

The constant force of the wind against her bare skin was beginning to burn, and Rey could feel heat spreading across her cheeks and forehead.

Finally, Rey's feet hit a solid dirt path and the wind ceased to whip around her. Ren had led them to a path cut into the mountainside, apparently skilfully designed to keep the wind out.

Rey followed in line behind Kylo for a short while, glad to be out of the wind although still able to hear its howling.

 _Where is he taking me?_ She wondered, slightly concerned he was leading her back to the First Order.

" _Where are we going_?" Rey asked, but Kylo Ren kept walking with his back turned to the padawan.

She stopped in her tracks, and it only took a few seconds before Kylo Ren realised the woman was no longer following him. He turned to face her, waiting for her to explain her sudden halt.

" _I won't follow you unless you tell me where we are going… or at least until you start talking." Moments passed. "...Well?"_

A sigh fizzed through Ren's helmet. " _We could die out here if you don't follow me."_

Disappointed by his responce, Rey rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. _Of course he wouldn't give a straight answer._

" _I guess I'll take my chances alone."_ She circled around and started to head back, inciting Kylo Ren to call out.

" _Wait!_ " He stood still, but he tried to pull her back through the force, only slightly. It tingled in the tips of her ears. " _I – find it difficult to talk to you."_ He admitted, struggling to get the words out. " _This isn't how I pictured this.._ " He muttered, trailing on.

Rey became perplexed; she furrowed her brows, unable to hide her confusion.

Kylo took a step forward. " _I dreamed of this… of you._ "

" _W-what?_ " Rey gasped in bewilderment, her heart violently thrumming in her chest.

Unbeknownst to Rey, Kylo was equally as taken aback by his words after he witnessed her reaction and realised how he could have been misinterpreted.

" _No, nononono… not like that!_ " Kylo spluttered, trying to correct himself. " _It's just… uh... it's a base. I made it back when I trained here alone._ " He pulled at the ends of his gloves, inspecting their seams. " _The First Order doesn't know it's here._ "

" _Oh-ohh. Good._ " Rey fumbled slightly, stepping passed Kylo. " _Let's go then._ " She feigned a smile at him, squeezing her eyes shut in the hopes he'd take the hint and move on.

All Kylo could manage was an " _Ahh_." as he started leading her towards his base.

For the next few minutes Rey focused on trying to occupy her thoughts - to think of anything BUT Kylo Ren.

* * *

 **After almost 2 months I've finally updated!**

 **Everyone's probably already lost interest - I know I had.**

 **However, sudden inspiration struck and I had to keep going! (Also who can resist Kylo being a bumbling idiot for once?)**

 **Hope you all enjoy this new chapter, don't forget to send me some feedback!**

 **Next chapter is Kylo Ren POV! We'll find out more about his "base" in the mountains. (hehe)**


	7. Chapter 7

" _This is your secret base_?" Through her obvious shock, Kylo Ren sensed the escapee was also slightly impressed. " _I expected a cave, or a treehouse. Honestly, I never expected that you'd live like..._ " The scavenger stopped and glanced at her black-clad companion.

 _Like her_. He thought slightly disgruntled. He was glad she was wise enough not to point out that this was something unfortunate they had in common.

In the very least it was shelter, salvaged from a very expensive and very high quality ship. It resembled the junkyard on Jakku: scraps of metal used as wall exteriors, ship parts strewn about, furniture placed about to make the base resemble a living quarters.

Kylo walked over to the stand-alone pilot seat and ran a hand along its soft exterior, bringing back memories of his past life.

He had considered living in the ship when he had first landing on this planet after abandoning his past life. However, every second he spent on the ship crippled his drive to embrace the dark side. As a whole, it reminded him of a life he no longer accepted as his own. So he did what had to be done to remove himself from his past life: severed any links, tore away the familiar, dismantled it and made it into something new, something his own, something in his control. No, he couldn't have lived in that ship, it wasn't Kylo Ren's, it was-

" _Ben Solo_ "

Kylo whipped his head around to see the scavenger watching him, her piercing hawk-like eyes trying to see something beyond his exterior.

" _This was yours wasn't it? I know scrap metal, and this base is of neither First Order ship parts, nor even the Empire. They're expensive ship parts which leads me to believe-_ "

" _Enough._ " Ren demanded, straightening up and retracting his hand from the chair.

The scavenger took a step towards him, unafraid of his stern presence, brushing a hand over her sling up her arm to the knot. She tugged on it, testing its tightness.

She looked away, whether to refrain from giving away something in her eyes, or in attempt not to anger him, he could not tell.

" _Who are you? Are you Kylo Ren..._ " She tugged again at the knot. " _Or Ben Solo?_ "

He was quiet at first, turning to face the chair again. He slowly lifted his gloved hands, carefully removing his helmet.

They were both so quiet, breathing slowly, stillness in the air between them as if the raging winds outside were in a different world to their own. It howled galaxies away, the only sound between them was their own breath and the sound of Kylo's dark locks being freed from his onyx helmet.

" _I am what I am._ " He placed it on the chair and moved to the corner of the room. " _Get some rest, the nights are short, it makes it hard to get a good rest when the suns are out._ "

He crouched down, propping himself up against the wall and bringing his knees to his chest and closed his eyes.

" _Child._ " She may have muttered, but his head was overflowing with Ben Solo. He needed to concentrate if he wanted to tame the waves raging inside. The cool waters of the light side, working to extinguish the fiery power of the dark side.

The water and the fire whirled inside him, twisting into themselves, around and around swirling and almost indistinguishable from the other.

Everything was water and fire for so long that Kylo was almost shocked to be awoken and brought back into reality by the scavenger's loud rummaging.

She had set up a blank holo as a light source and was searching amongst a trunk of old trinkets and clothes.

" _Are Jedis taught to be thieves now?_ " Kylo asked with a grin, mocking her inability to refrain from scavenging.

The woman rolled her eyes and held up Ben Solo's padawan clothes.

" _Do you need this?_ " She asked sarcastically, feeling the thickness of he material. He watched as she pulled the old baggy pants over her own and pulled another old jacket carefully over her injured shoulder, temporarily removing her arm from the sling.

" _That's not yours._ " He eventually grumbled.

" _Oh, is it yours?_ " She snapped back, rolling herself into a ball on the ground. He clicked his tongue and pretended to be incredibly interested in his gloves.

He gazed back at her, noticing how much smaller she looked curled into a ball. This girl had bested him on multiple occasions, yet she was so much smaller than him.

" _Will you be alright?_ " He asked, eliciting a chuckle from the woman.

" _Seriously?_ " She scoffed, " _I've slept on worse._ "

 _But you're shivering_ , he thought, silently watching her. Despite the extra layers she had donned, he could still see her shake in the cold of the night. _She is obviously cold, why won't she say anything? Is she really so stubborn that she'd rather freeze to death than admit she is cold?_

Without a word he stood up and ignited his lightsaber. Rey immediately jumped to her feet and reached for her own saber but was stopped in her tracks when she witnessed Kylo Ren use his to tear off a section of his own cloak.

He extinguished the saber and picked up the heavy material on the ground, holding it out to Rey. _"Here. You'll be warmer if you sleep with it._ " he offered, following up quickly with " _If you don't take it I'm just going to throw it away._ "

Flabbergasted, she offered a quick thank-you as she walked over and took the cloth. Both of them sat down against the wall, each wrapping themselves in their own fraction of cloak.

They were so close, Kylo Ren couldn't help but notice. Even with his eyes closed he could feel the scavenger beside him, their shoulders less than an inch away. An unintentional intimacy which caused an unfamiliar stirring in Ren's stomach.

" _You know..._ " The woman began, causing Kylo's eyes to flicker open - though he dare not look at her. " _Your voice sounds nice... I mean- your real voice._ " She mumbled. " _It's too bad you gave it up for the dark side._ "

His breath hitched in his throat. The sickness in his stomach was now taking over his heart. He tried to call upon the force to fix him, slow his heart, slow his breathing, _do anything_. But it didn't seem like this was something the dark nor the light side of the force could fix.

He took a deep breath and sighed. " _Just go to sleep scavenger._ "

This seemed to somehow irritate the scavenger, making her shift uncomfortably. How did she always manage to get annoyed whenever he spoke? She almost had shorter patience than he did.

She turned her face towards him and disobeyed his request.

" _Why don't you ever call me by my name? Do you not know it?_ "

He tilted his head to look down at her.

" _Of course I know it. Didn't you listen to me before? Names aren't important. We don't have to know each other's names._ " He lied, names were incredibly important. He chose his specifically because of how powerful a name it could be. Kylo Ren was a name that held power, elicited fear and respect all at once. Her name... it wasn't a name he wanted to give power to.

" _You're lying! You really don't know my name._ "

" _Go to sleep, scavenger._ "

His attempt at indifference backfired. Wild things like her, her freckled face, her messy hair, her pride, they couldn't be tamed.

And so she pulled his hair.

" _Ow! Wha-_ " She tackled him to the ground, removing her left arm from the sling and taking two handfulls of his hair and tugging at it.

" _Call me by my name!_ " She demanded.

" _Argh!_ " He cried, trying to grab onto her arms and pull her off him.

Her attempt at persuasion backfired. Arrogant things like him, his flashy clothes, his glossy hair, his pride, they would not give in so easily.

And so he kissed her.

Kylo Ren kissed Rey.

* * *

 **So it finally happened! *sunglasses emoji***

 **After over a month of writing and rewriting it is finally here!**

 **Do not fear - the next chapter will contain a more detailed look into _the kiss_ and how Rey reacts to it. ****With more free time I'll hopefully update soon and quench your Reylo thirst hahaha**

 **Don't forget to show your love - or hate - through some feedback!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is dedicated to Howling2themoon, thanks for your review!**

* * *

The halls of the Resistance base were all but empty, save the occasional patrolling guard or whirring droid. Fortunately for a particular force-sensitive, this section of the base was barely used, despite the computing panels having direct links to the Resistance's mainframe.

That must have been the reason why on this night, Luke Skywalker had sent R2-D2 to covertly access Resistance information - without General Organa's knowledge.

Luke and Artoo had been through many battles and missions together and he could trust the droid with his very life, which - to the Jedi's dismay – was often put to the test.

However, as reliable a droid as R2-D2 was, its only fault was its inability to shoo away the ever-persistent C-3PO.

" _Have you got the information yet? These dark halls are setting my wires on edge! Oh maker!_ " C-3PO babbled to his counterpart, receiving two annoyed beeps in return. The smaller R2 droid twisted its appendage within a computing panel.

" _Well you should hurry up Artoo! Master Luke and Padawan Rey will be leaving soon and I dare say I can't expect them to wait up for an incompetent droid such as yourself!_ " C-3PO's gold exterior reflected the dim light in multiple directions as he waved his arms about, tuttering. " _Oh, it's such a shame they have to leave. Padawan Rey has quite taken my favour and I dare say she may have even taken yours Artoo! Why, just recently I heard from a BB unit_ -" The protocol droid was abruptly cut off by a small screech from the R2 unit as a nearby socket began shooting sparks towards the droid.

" _Oh dear!_ " was all Threepio could say as R2-D2 immediately disconnected, then whirred itself over to a neighbouring panel, beginning its search again. " _The princess will not be very pleased with that._ "

Despite the near inflammation of his counterpart, Threepio continued prattling on about the bravery and kindness of the Jakku scavenger. It wasn't obvious whether the smaller droid was listening to C-3PO's tale; however, after minutes of Threepio's non-stop monologue, Artoo finally divulged its opinions of the Padawan.

" _Master Ben? She reminds you of Master Ben? Artoo you are far too ignorant, not all humans are the same you know. Just because they are Jedi doesn't mean they are similar at all; it's like comparing an ewok to a wookie! They both have fur but I'd much rather get on the bad side of an ewok._ "

R2-D2 paused in its digital endeavours, turning its sensor towards its fellow droid, then back to its original escapade, emitting a few short beeps before disconnecting and heading towards the door.

" _R-related? Master Ben and Padawan Rey are related_?" Threepio stammered, following the smaller droid in a hurry. " _Artoo, I don't know where you get these absurd notions. I ought to report you to get your memory drive checked!_ "

The pair continued out into the hall, Threepio beginning a lecture on proper droid maintenance. As all resonance of the droids had slowly drifted away, Rey finally released a long-held breath.

Anguish flooded her senses. Her heart thudding in her ears as she gasped for air. She had held herself still for so long against the cool metal wall that her entire body felt stiff. She tried to stretch out her legs and run back to her dormitory but she was almost paralysed with shock. Did Luke not trust the General? Why else would he go behind her back and send R2-D2 to such a remote part of the base? Worst of all... was she really related to Ben Solo? How much did Luke know? How was this all possible?

* * *

Panting, she stood above his motionless body. Heat flushed beneath her cheeks as sweat began to dampen her face. She watched the unmoving Kylo Ren sprawled across the floor beneath her.

Was... was he still alive? Rey kicked away the fraction of Kylo's cape by his head and crouched beside him, bringing her face closer to his. She hovered mere centimetres from his mouth, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her cheek.

To Rey's relief, the man breathed ever so slightly against her cheek. _Still alive then._

She opened her eyes to discover her VERY close proximity to her unconscious -but alive- adversary. Three. He had small dark tufts of baby hair along his hairline. Two. He smelled nice, like the spices a Tokoyan apostate once tried to trade with her. One. Up-close she could see how deep the scar she had given him must have been.

Another of Kylo Ren's breaths warmed against Rey's cheek and she immediately withdrew, taking a few quick steps backward, returning to her crouched position at a new comfortable distance from Kylo Ren.

" _He- he kissed me!_ " She squeaked, feeling slightly nauseous as she drew back the fresh memory.

" _You're lying! You really don't know my name." She couldn't quite tell why this upset her, he was her enemy, it really shouldn't matter to her what he called her._

 _However, some part of her found it belittling, never being acknowledged, not being treated as an equal – at least in terms of strength._

 _"Go to sleep, scavenger." And so she pulled his hair._

 _It was a cheap and nasty move, but an effective one she'd learnt very early on during her time on Jakku._

 _"Ow! Wha-" She tackled him to the ground, removing her left arm from the sling and taking two handfuls of his hair and tugging at it._

 _"Call me by my name!" She demanded._

 _"Argh!" He cried, trying to grab onto her arms and pull her off him._

 _She was getting her way, despite her injured arm she was managing to hold his wriggling body firmly beneath her. Inflicting a pain which she was sure he was not accustomed to._

 _Unfortunately, dirty tricks and unaccustomed experiences must have been on Kylo Ren's mind as he propped himself up on one elbow, cupping Rey's cheek and drew her into a soft kiss._

 _Her hands stilled in his hair, but she didn't let go as his lips placed themselves against hers, slowly increasing the pressure. Tingles shot down her spine as he brushed his hand passed her hair, holding gently onto the back of her head, attempting to pull her in closer._

 _He tilted his head to the side, his prominent nose knocking against hers, setting off an electrical signal in her brain._

 _"No, no, no!" Was all she could think. She released his hair and placed her hands on each side of his face. Kylo took this as a positive advance and tried to deepen the kiss, his heart rate elevating, thudding in his temples against Rey's fingers._

 _Rey promptly probed his mind and gathered all the force she could towards it, rendering him unconscious. The last thing she heard was a single word from Kylo's mind. "Rey."_

It was her first attempt at using the force in that way, but her closeness to his mind had made it easier. His moment of vulnerability giving her the perfect opportunity to take him out.

She sighed and fiddled with the hem on her pants – _his_ pants. She wished Luke was here, he'd have answers. Why she thought attempting a direct confrontation with Kylo Ren would solve her problems she couldn't even remember. Surely simply asking Luke about what she had overheard from R2-D2 and C-3PO would have been easier than what she had now gotten herself into.

Suddenly, the man behind her current predicament began quivering before her. Violently whipping his head side to side. He was having a nightmare. However, the twitching only got worse as small whimpers began to escape his lips.

" _Hey!_ " She called out in attempt to rouse the sleeping man. " _Hey wake up!_ " She crawled over to him and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Kylo's eyes shot open with her touch, ceasing all movement. Then he brought a hand to his head and let out a moan.

" _My head hurts._ " He groaned with a hint of surprise. Rey released his shoulder and leaned back, trying to casually put distance between herself and Ren.

" _Yeah, sorry. I'm not used to using the force for that._ " She waved a hand in the general direction of his head.

A slight smile spread across Kylo's mouth as he chuckled.

" _I need to stop taking my mask off around you. You're ruining my almost spotless record of lack of head injuries._ "

Rey laughed at this, a hearty laugh. It was a sensation she hadn't experienced in a long time. _A long time._ However, the laughter abruptly ended, both parties surprised at Rey's response.

A slight pink touched her cheeks, firing up as she caught her adversary watching her. Somewhere between a relaxed smile and a focused stare. She shifted under his gaze, waiting for him to look away, embarrassed.

But he didn't.

" _Stop_." She sternly shot at him, attempting to exude dominance.

His gaze didn't shift, simply leaning closer.

" _You're beautiful, you know._ " He hummed. More annoying persistence. Rey sighed, standing up and dusting herself off. She put the compliment to the back of her mind.

" _I said stop_." She repeated, furrowing her brows.

" _Why? I do what I want, nobody tells me what to do._ " Rey scoffed, turning her back to him as he also got to his feet. " _Join me Rey._ "

She bit the inside of her cheek, her name... he said her name. She held her breath. Three. He took a step closer. Two. Another. One. Another.

" _You're..._ " He stopped in his tracks, anticipating her response. " _such a child._ "

" _Stop calling me a child, Rey._ " He growled. She could feel him reaching out to take her hand.

She turned on her heel and swatted him away before his hand could enclose hers. Maddened as he continued to pester her.

" _That's your problem. You are only a man, a very childish man. With small-minded childish ultimatums._ " Rey balled her hands into fists at her sides, Kylo gritted his teeth. Before he could retort she cut him off. " _Don't push yourself too hard. For once at least try to think seriously before you act. Otherwise you'll just wear yourself out._ "

Kylo was fervent, shifting constantly on his feet; he began waving his arms about.

" _You- you think I'm not serious about this?_ " He reached towards her, attempting to close the space between them. He towered over Rey, taking her cheeks in his hands and leaning down.

This was not taken well by Rey, responding to his attempted kiss by driving her elbow sharply into his gut. He staggered back, clutching his side, bewildered by her ardent negative response.

He coughed roughly, slightly winded. Her annoyance only increased by his constant griping.

" _Is this what you see in your dreams? I'm some weak woman who gives herself over to you, changed by a kiss? Thank-you, thank-you Kylo Ren for giving my life purpose beyond my puny, weak existence._ " The sarcasm rolled of her as she sneered. Spitting out each word like irritating sand sticking to her tongue.

" _You!_ " He roared, his strong voice drumming through Rey's body. Then tempestuously sending piles of junk flying against the wall. Clattering and breaking apart on impact. " _You were never weak in my dreams Rey! Every night since we first met, you came to me in my dreams. Again and again, we fought. Night after night, we joined forces... and it was powerful, unlike anything I've ever experienced. We became stronger - together._ "

Rey's breath caught in her chest, powerful palpitations racking her body.

 _Force._

He _was_ serious. For the first time since their earlier fight, Rey felt Kylo's power. She could sense his passion, she didn't need the force to feel it rolling off him.

There they stood, looking into each others eyes. Waiting to see who would make the next move. The stand-still seemed to slowly wind each of them down: rapid breaths steadied, increased heart rates slowed, their harsh expressions relaxed.

 _What should I do with you Kylo Ren._

Unsure how to react, she flexed her injured shoulder, grimacing slightly as she tried to replace it into the sling.

" _I'm going to sleep."_ She finally whispered, worn-out from the long day. She glanced at the fraction of Kylo Ren's cape on the ground, debating whether to take it or leave it.

She dragged her feet along the ground as she picked up the cloth, taking it over to a comfortable-looking corner of the makeshift shelter, closing her eyes.

Kylo Ren hadn't moved, but eventually she heard him shuffling and not long after, she fell asleep.

* * *

 **Don't worry, they're not actually related. Not in this story anyway!**

 **Oh boy, I was hoping to have this up much sooner but of course life has it's way of getting in the way.**

 **This is the longest chapter so far! Yay!**

 **What do you think? Will Kylo win Rey over? What are the secrets Luke has been hiding from everyone?**

 **Next chapter Kylo POV (expect lots of Kylo fawning over Rey).**

 **I've got some ideas swimming around for a new story including this pair, so I'll probably be finishing this one off soon.**

 **Let me know what you think with a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

For the most part, Kylo Ren had kept a collected demeanour after his confession to the powerful jedi-in-training; however, it did not take long after Rey drifted off for the harshness of reality to finally hit Kylo.

 _"Force..."_ He thought, biting his tongue. _"Force, I said it – out loud!"_ Kylo ran a shaky hand through his hair, his other arm tucked warmly beneath his cape. He peered over to the sleeping Padawan, heat driving into his cheeks at the sight of her sleeping in _his_ cape. Well... a fragment of.

" _Forceforceforceforce."_ The word repeated itself in his mind, eyes greedily taking in the sight of Rey's sleeping form.

A part of him felt guilty, watching her as she slept. Absorbing every tiny detail, the way her hair fell on her face, the steady rise and fall of her chest, the rhythmic sounds of air escaping her parted lips.

Kylo moaned and turned away, squeezing his eyes shut. " _I can't do this. What she's doing to me, it's too much."_ He leaned his head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. " _Come on Kylo, power is good, sympathy is..."_ He thought of the euphoria of her lips against his, bringing a fresh rush of heat rising to the tips of his ears. "B-b-bad... its bad. Oh boy." Nervously, he looked over at her sleeping form again, wondering if she ever dreamt of him. What does Rey dream of, Rey the scavenger, Rey the Padawan, Rey the woman.

Overcome by curiosity, he crawled over to her. " _I shouldn't be doing this."_ A voice in his head berated him.

" _I am Kylo Ren, nobody can tell me what I can and cannot do."_ He retaliated. A silent battle in his mind ensued. He was motionless, kneeling before her, eyes flickering back and forth over her slumped body.

The second voice won.

In nervous anticipation he reached out a hand, open-palmed towards Rey's mind. He closed his eyes and gently probed, as to not wake the sleeping woman. He managed to slip inside, an invisible onlooker tumbling into the world inside Rey's mind.

He found her in some dry bushy planet, sitting alone and unafraid atop a resistance ship. She furrowed her brows as she gazed out, watching the twin suns set, fingers aimlessly tracing shapes on the ship's surface.

In this warm atmosphere her skin almost glowed, the warm colours bringing out the subtle redness in her cheeks. She thrived in the sun, not suited to the snowy landscape which trapped her current person.

Kylo watched as she let out a small huff, clearly frustrated by something. He settled himself down next to her, his invisible form watching her intently, wishing he could reach out and brush the loose tendrils of hair from her face.

" _Ben Solo."_ He froze at the name. Had she discovered he was there?

However, Rey continued to stare towards the horizon, allowing him to relax beside her. His presence was still hidden.

She tested the name on her lips again. " _Ben Solo._ "

Kylo was perplexed, she had emphasised the _Ben._ Why was she thinking about him? He wanted to know more. He wanted to know why.

Her free hand supported her chin, taking a deep breath in. " _Why did it have to be you? So what we both live with the force?"_ She shivered slightly. " _We're not similar at all. He's... detestable."_ She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think of more. "... _and controlled by anger, and evil, and irritating, and creepy, and childish, and tall, and... and his hair is too curly!"_

Kylo sat - with a very hurt ego - in stunned silence as she retrieved a small screw from her pocket. She stood and threw the tiny object with much gusto, satisfied at convincing herself that she and Kylo Ren were nothing alike. She allowed herself a small pleased laugh at the distance her little screw flew.

So this was what she thought of him. No chance, he had no chance of winning her over if this was how much she detested him. How could he expect her to reciprocate his feelings ever? Moreover, she seemed to be fighting him off at every given moment, had not a single part of his affections managed to slip through her defences? It was like trying to break through a wall of ice.

However, there was no part of him that would accept defeat. He _had_ to have her on the same side as him, there was no option.

He was in too deep.

" _Rey,_ " He called, although she wouldn't hear a single word. " _I know you don't think very highly of me in this moment, you-you may even despise me, but I won't...can't accept any future without you by my side. I could tell you that I'll leave you alone if you say no, but why would I?_ "

He stood to get a better view of the Padawan's face, staring into the depths of her warm eyes. " _I'd rather try and it all be for nothing, than to be nothing to you._ "

" _NO!_ " Rey's shattered voice screamed out, sending a deep unease within Kylo. His face drained, surely turning a new shade of white. Rey, grasped her head in frustration, " _No, I had just decided, we are nothing alike! I felt so so sure... why am I so afraid? Why am I so uncertain?_ " In a rare moment of vulnerability, tears began to streak Rey's face.

Guilt returned to the sith onlooker, seeing this side of Rey without her knowledge felt worse than watching her sleep. More intimate.

Yet he didn't leave.

" _Why can't I chase away this fear?_ " She called out to the horizon, clutching her ribs to control the sobs trying to crawl up her throat. He watched as her reddened weary eyes began to focus, the glint of the twin suns reflecting her new-set determination.

" _Kylo Ren!_ " She pointed to the horizon, much to Kylo's relief. " _I will come for you! I will chase you to the end of the universe! I will show you we are nothing alike until all trickles of doubt are chased from my mind!_ "

At this, Kylo felt a part of him open up and something finally clicked in his mind, how couldn't he have realised this earlier?

" _Oh,_ " the tensed sith beside her breathed, blinking a few times. Meanwhile, she tried to steady her infuriated panting. " _Oh, this isn't a dream._ " Kylo mentally smacked himself. "Of course, _this is a memory._ "

The Padawan slowly straightened herself, brushing off any dust she had collected on her clothes, _the same ones she was wearing when he had first encountered her in the alcove_.

He had chased her far across this tiny planet, yet it was her who had chased him across the galaxy. He had been driven mad, crazed with the elation of finally finding the scavenger, but it was her goal to find him all along.

An unexpected force struck Kylo, knocking all breath from his lungs as he hurled out of Rey's mind, awakening in his old makeshift shelter. He gasped for breath, his head spinning and static grey fluttering before his eyes. Eventually his eyes began to focus and he realised the gasping was not his alone. The scavenger was slumped against the wall, dangerous eyes watching him with fierce intensity.

A sheen layer of sweat coated her skin, causing bits of her hair to stick to her face at uncomfortable angles. This only added to the wild, rabid look she was directing towards a collapsed Kylo Ren.

" _Rey_." He began, trying to sit himself up.

" _You were in my head!_ " She growled.

He tried to think of an explanation, anything to excuse his intrusion. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. _Force._

" _How long?"_ His abrupt exit from her mind had left him slightly confused, slowly processing her question whilst trying to answer a million of his own. " _How long were you in there Kylo?"_ The sith's dazed state left him unable to answer the question so instead he asked one of his own.

" _Did you hear me when I was in there?"_ Unbeknownst to Kylo, he was incredibly talented at annoying Rey by constantly evading her questions.

" _Hear you!? Your force signature all but crashed into my mind with a 'Whoops! This isn't the dream I was looking for!'"_

 _So only the end,_ she'd only sensed Kylo for a brief moment before pummelling him from her mind.

He mentally sighed, relieved that she hadn't heard his second embarrassing confession of the night. Although, the light of day had already began breaking into the shelter, night had ended as quickly as it had begun.

" _Tell me why you were in my head Kylo."_ She persisted, eyes locked on his.

He felt waves of anger raging towards him through the force, and a little of something else... worry? _What else does she have hidden in her mind?_

Kylo pursed his lips, maybe, just maybe what she was hiding could help him breach her barriers, and finally understand the incredible enigma of a woman before him.

One chance, he had one chance.

" _Rey_ ," he sighed, carefully raising a closed palm towards her. Curious, her eyes flickered to the hand then back to Kylo. " _I'm sorry."_

She had moments to take in his words before he pushed his arm forward, grasping onto her forehead, prepared to launch a series of intrusive dives, plunging into her mind. However, the look of betrayal in her eyes was coupled with an upward deflection with her forearm, simultaneously detaching Kylo's hold on her and delivering and elbow to his chin.

Kylo stumbled backward, and licked his top lip, tasting salt and iron. He had split his lip, the taste of blood firing the dark forces within him. Rey caught the dangerous shift in his features and lined herself up for a sprint, she made it halfway across the room before a large boot hit her directly in the side, sending her skidding across the dirt floor, lightsaber rattling the other way.

She gasped at the pain, but if the sith expected her to stay down, she would not comply. He approached with heavy steps, and she craned her neck to look up at him, crimson blood smeared across his chin. She appeared to coil inwards as Kylo lifted another boot; however, she sprung and kicked his standing leg from out beneath him. He toppled to the ground, smacking his head in the process. His vision blurred and his ears rang, time slowing with strenuous breaths. All he could do was watch through half-lidded eyes as the Jedi-in-training left.

" _Rey_." He called with his mind. Her footsteps haltered, turning back and shuffling over to the semi-conscious sith, bringing him hope that she would stay by his side. However, his happiness fizzled into disappointment as she picked up the lightsaber beside him.

This is it, she was going to kill him. He had lost.

He closed his eyes, and waited. " _Goodbye Rey."_

In his last moments, he thought he would've reflected over his life, his family, his failures, his successes. But all that remained was Rey. And soon there was nothing.

* * *

For the second time, Kylo awoke with a thrumming pain in his head.

He groaned as he sat up, soon being replaced by a frustrated shout as all memory of recent events returned like a slap in the face. He buried his face in his hands, " _What have I done?"_

He threw out an arm, prepared to use the force to throw and smash some furniture around he room; however, a hollow emptiness left him motionless. He lowered his arm and began pacing about the room. How could he be so darn stupid!? Rey had always been the strongest with her use of mental shields and force perception. Kylo had to muster up a great capacity of the force available to him just to attempt a full-blown mental assault. Of course she'd prevent any direct attack, and with all his energy focused elsewhere, he'd been left vulnerable to a physical attack. In the physical uses of the force, Kylo was an expert, but with his attention directed elsewhere, Rey had easily bested him.

" _I'm such an idiot."_ He griped, " _How is she going to survive out there? She comes from a desert planet for force sakes!"_ Multiple situations involving Rey's death flickered through Kylo's mind, getting lost, freezing, starving, and if the First Order had introduced any other horrific species to the planet she could quite possibly become some animal's next meal.

Unwilling to allow her to _die_ Kylo stretched himself out. For however long he had slept, it had allowed his body to recuperate and he had to catch up to her as soon as possible. He skipped over to a torn-out wall panel, woven wires covering it as an airtight lid. He fetched out a few dry food packages checking the time stamps. Yep, awful, tasteless, dry food always stays in-date. Tucking that into his robes he prepared to leave, tapping his lightsaber holster for assurance.

 _No lightsaber. Lightsaber gone._ He turned on his heel, frantically scanning the room for his saber. Had the scavenger taken it?

 _There!_ It sat under a few of the broken items Kylo had sent flying the day earlier. Not only did she let him live, but she had left him his saber. The debts were beginning to add up. However, as he retrieved the saber, he realised it did not have the same weight or shape as the weapon he was familiar with.

Finally, he was in possession of his grandfather's lightsaber, yet it did not please him in the least.

 _Force._

* * *

 **What is this? A sort-of-not-really normal update?**

 **Hahaha I started working on this chapter as soon as I finished the last.**

 **Now Rey's motivations are clear to us, but not to Kylo.**

 **How will it all end?**

 **Thanks for all the support! Again, let me know what you think with a review!**


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